I’ve blocked out the woman’s reply, so you’ll have to click through to see the punch line.

And I love Zach, the artist, I really do, but…

SPOILER for the joke:

Meteorites are after they hit the ground. Meteors are when they are still in the air and glowing, and the solid part is called a meteoroid. There is no semantic definition of when a meteoroid is is big enough to be called an asteroid, but given the size depicted in the cartoon, I’d say that one counts.

See? This is why you shouldn’t date an astronomer. Unless you like that sort of thing. Oh baby! Talk cosmic to me!

Tip o’ the Whipple Shield to Brian Carroll who tweeted the link to Rebecca at Skepchick, who is in turn technically correct in her title since I’m married and Mrs. BA can kick anyone else’s asteroid herself.

I watch/record NUMB3RS, even though Math is my weakest Science, and was going through the DVDs to verify. In one episode, there is a Conspiracy Theorist who aids the main characters in locating a serial killer. He is with ‘Larry Fleinhart’ (Peter MacNichol), a Cosmologist, and states “Thanks, Astrology Dude”.. and MacNichol replies quietly “Astronomy”.

Also, the cartoon reminded me of the trailer for The Invention of Lying, where the guy who learns/invents lying says to one woman (approximating) “The World will end if you don’t have sex with me” – and her response “Do we have time to get to a motel?”

4. Gary Ansorge Says:
God jokes:

When God came into existence(Hey, in chaos, ALL things are possible, if you wait long enough)

ITS first thoughts were:

Reminds me of the whale in Hitchhiker’s Guide…..

10. Reed Braden Says:

“Oh baby! Talk cosmic to me!”

Send me to the stars, Phil! Plunge beyond my event horizon!

I’m now in love with the idea of an adult film filled with astronomy sexual innuendo.

Gives a whole new meaning to ‘entering a black hole’…..
I should contact a friend who has a Star Trek Parody about the Starship Intercourse (no, it’s not ALL NSFW… )

I think we need to form a commission to, a la Pluto, debate & define just how big an object has to be before it can be upgraded from “meteoroid” to “asteroid.” I mean, we can’t have this kind of vagueness out there!

Of course, we’ll have to invent two new words, then. I mean, if we have “meteoroids” and their derivative forms, wouldn’t we also need to classify an asteroid entering the atmosphere as an “aster,” and the non-vaporized fragments left over after impact “asterites?”

Must … resist … nitpick …
Nah, here it comes; surely the meteor is doing several kilometers per second, so the young lady correctly figures that before her partner has heard and comprehended her words, it will have struck the ground and become … a Meteorite! Otherwise the young man will be at pains to point out her error, as they stand in the rubble of what was their former environment.
/Sheldon
Bob(Big)

“Why ARE there different words depending on where it is? It seems to me that it would make more sense to use a single word whether it’s in space, in the air, or on the ground”

Because it’s quite rare that the same object would be observed in two (let alone three) of these circumstances.

“Witnessed falls” (when a meteor is seen in the sky, and later fragments are found on the ground) are unusual because typically the meteor is seen at night (making it hard to know where it hit, since is ceases being luminous long before impact), material rarely reaches the ground before being vaporized, and when it does, the impact site is a long way from the point where it was visible overhead.

And there’s only one case in recorded history of a meteoroid being tracked to the ground, because they’re so tiny and faint when they’re in space that seeing them before atmospheric/ground impact is practically impossible.

Would we then have a 200 kg hybrid? I expect Scotty would then scream “,,NOOOOOO!!!”

At 30 km/sec, if we accept that the upper range on atmospheric entrance is 150 km(for the asteroid to start glowing) it would take about 5 secs to hit the ground. Just enough time to bend over and say goodbye.

I should contact a friend who has a Star Trek Parody about the Starship Intercourse.

I’m guessing that a likely line from the .. er .. climax there could well be : [deleted]

Actually, there was very little NSFW, as I recall. The two ‘bits’ were “The Starship Intercourse, thrusting its way.. (don’t remember)”
The Captain (Quirk? it’s been years) finds a couple actively ‘being friendly’, and they respond “It’s alright, Captain, we’re engaged.””Well, disengage immediately”.

I do have to admit that I’ve forgotten most of the parody, except those two parts above, but we’re talking about having heard it probably over a decade, nearly two? ago.

Shows that my mind is in the gutter, but there’s such a great view of the sky from here!

24. Jar Jya Binks Killer Says:

Then there’s the good old one about “beam me up Scotty” – {Pause} “I’m not sure Scotty would like that capt’n!”

The other one like that is “Beam me aboard, Scotty” “Aye, sir. Will a 2 X 4 do?”